COMM 1500 (1)

Chapter 5: Language in Communication

Understanding Language

  • Verbal Communication: Use of words for interpersonal communication.

  • **Language Characteristics: **

    • Symbolic: Words represent other objects or concepts.

    • Governed by Rules:

      • Constitutive Rules: Define proper usage of terms.

      • Regulative Rules: Govern grammar and syntax.

    • Cultural Impact: Variability in languages and dialects.

    • Evolving Nature: Lingo and language adapt over time.

Sharing and Interpreting Meaning

  • Denotative Meaning: Literal interpretation of words.

  • Connotative Meaning: Underlying and culturally derived meanings.

Language and Thought

  • Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Language shapes perspective and thought processes.

    • Linguistic Determinism: Conceptualizations are limited to available words.

    • Linguistic Relativity: Different languages enable different ways of thinking.

Creating Positive Communication**

  • Confirming Messages: Recognizing and validating others’ feelings.

    • Recognition: Acknowledge the other’s existence.

    • Acknowledgment: Engaging with thoughts and feelings.

    • Endorsement: Agreeing with the other person.

  • Disconfirming Messages: Negative interactions that undermine communication.

    • Types include impervious responses, verbal abuse, generalized complaints, and irrelevant responses.

Minimizing Defensive Reactions

  • Support vs Defensive Communication:

    • Gibb’s Six Types of Messages:

      • Evaluation vs Description

      • Control vs Problem Orientation

      • Strategy vs Spontaneity

      • Neutrality vs Empathy

      • Superiority vs Equality

      • Certainty vs Provisionalism

Providing Effective Feedback

  • Differentiate between evaluative and non-evaluative responses.

  • Use "I" language to express personal feelings.

Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication

Overview of Nonverbal Communication

  • Behaviors that convey meaning without spoken words (60-65% of communication).

  • Functions: Clarifies and reinforces verbal messages.

  • Often holds more weight in communication than verbal expressions.

Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication

  • Present in most interactions, enhancing the conveyed message.

  • Influenced significantly by cultural backgrounds.

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

  • Managing Conversations:

    • Inviting, maintaining, and ending conversations through cues such as proximity and eye contact.

  • Expressing Emotion:

    • Facial expressions and vocal tones convey feelings effectively.

Types of Nonverbal Channels

  1. Facial Displays: Communicate identity, attractiveness, and emotion.

  2. Eye Behaviors: Indicate persuasion and engagement.

  3. Kinesics (Body Movements): Includes:

    • Emblems: Gestures with direct verbal translations.

    • Illustrators: Enhance verbal messages.

    • Regulators: Control flow of conversations.

  4. Touch Behaviors (Haptics): Communicate through types of touch such as affectionate touch and aggressive touch.

  5. Vocal Behaviors (Vocalics): Characteristics of voice that indicate meaning, including pitch, volume, and rate.

  6. Use of Space (Proxemics): Varies from intimate to public spaces.

  7. Physical Appearance: Influences perceptions and interactions (Halo Effect).

  8. Time Use (Chronemics): Communicates significance of relationships.

  9. Artifacts: Objects with communicative value (e.g., personal items).

Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills

  • Interpreting Nonverbal Cues: Cultivate sensitivity to nonverbal messages.

  • Expressing Nonverbal Messages: Develop self-awareness in conveying nonverbal cues.

Chapter 7: Listening

Understanding Listening

  • Definition: Active process of making meaning from spoken messages.

  • Common misconceptions: listening is passive or effortless.

Listening Styles

  • Relational Style: Focus on understanding others’ thoughts and feelings, often more common in women.

  • Task-Oriented Style: Concise and transactional focus, aiming for efficiency.

  • Critical Listening: Intellectual challenge, careful evaluation of information.

  • Analytical Listening: Withholding judgment to consider all sides.

The Listening Process (HURIER Model)

  1. Hearing: Receiving auditory stimuli.

  2. Understanding: Comprehending words and their meanings.

  3. Remembering: Retaining ideas or concepts.

  4. Interpreting: Assigning meaning to heard messages.

  5. Evaluating: Judging credibility and intention of the speaker.

  6. Responding: Providing feedback through nonverbal and verbal cues.

Barriers to Effective Listening

  • Physical and Psychological Noise: Distracting elements that hinder attention.

  • Pseudolistening and Selective Attention: Pretending to listen vs. only listening to desired messages.

  • Information Overload: Difficulty processing when overwhelmed with information.

  • Close-Mindedness and Narcissistic Listening: Avoiding differing views and focusing on personal agendas.

Understanding Emotions

  • Definition: Multidimensional responses to stimuli affecting goals.

  • Differences between Primary Emotions (joy, sadness) and Secondary Emotions (jealousy).

Principles of Emotional Intelligence

  1. Identification: Labeling one’s own emotions.

  2. Empathy: Understanding the emotions of others.

  3. Self-Regulation: Managing emotions effectively.

  4. Emotion Management in Communication: Providing support and constructive feedback.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory (Lazarus)

  • Emotional Reaction Process:

    1. Emotional Stimulus: Event triggering the emotion.

    2. Appraisal: Individual assessment of the stimulus.

    3. Emotion Experience: Informed by appraisal (e.g., loss leads to sadness).

    4. Behavioral Response: Typical reaction associated with the emotion.